For parents in Florida dealing with child custody and support issues, it is important to understand the expenses that child support payments can cover. While each state has different rules for the types of expenses covered by child support, the basic expenses covered remain the same.
Basic expenses covered by child support
Child support is meant to cover the basic expenses of raising a child. These include costs for food, clothing and safe shelter. This means that the basic expenses covered by child support include the costs related to this, such as rent or mortgage payment and utility bills.
Additional expenses covered by child support
Depending on the state and on the couple’s support agreement or order, there are other expenses that might be included under child support payments. These include:
- Educational expenses
- Extracurricular expenses
- Childcare
- Medical expenses
- Traveling costs
The changing costs of raising a child
The costs of raising a child change as the child grows. For this reason, expenses that in the past might have not been included as necessary can later be perceived as important for child-rearing. For example, educational expenses might include college tuition, room and board since a strong formal education is considered necessary for children as they grow. Education can also go beyond traditional school so extracurricular activities such as sports, theater or the arts are often also included as allowed expenses. Additionally, courts also understand that children need to have some form of entertainment so child support might also be used to pay for this, in the form of access to the internet, money for movies or other entertainment.
Child support is always meant to help provide the most stable environment possible while the child grows. Payments should support the things necessary to ensure that the best interests of the child are being met.
